The academization trap

A speech by Rudolf Strahm, a known personality as he was member of our national parliament and for some years the Swiss price regulator. He is also knowledgeable about the Swiss education system and he was invited as part of the jubilee of a vocational school in Winterthur. 

One of the main messages was, that countries with a dual educational system (vocational & academic) are much better positioned regarding youth unemployment than countries without a dual system (see the chart in the blip. Black bars for countries with a mono-system, red bars for countries with a dual system). Quite a strong message, as youth unemployment is something of the most demotivating towards a young generation, giving them the feeling of not being needed.

The dual system goes back to Middle Age in the German speaking parts of Europe and partially in the Nordic/Scandinavian countries. There were not too many news for me in his speech, but a few new thoughts. E.g. that an important part of young people in Switzerland today have a migration background and their parents don't know the dual education system from their youth, i.e. a new task for schools and society to inform about the possible professional growth paths and to avoid the academization trap.

Rudolf Strahm wrote a book about the academization trap (Akademisierungsfalle - some more info here).